**The Difference Between Characters Floating and Living in the Setting**

Have you ever heard the phrase “talking heads” when it comes to complaints about the writing of a story? The idea is that if our characters don’t interact with their surroundings, they seem more like body-less voices floating through empty space.

Many readers enjoy creating a “movie in their mind” as they read, as it help immerse them in the story. To create that mental movie, readers need contextual information about our characters and the setting.

Are our characters inside or outside?
Are they standing or sitting?
If they’re sitting, what are they sitting on?
If they’re outside, what’s the weather like?
If they’re inside, what’s the room like?
And so on…

We don’t need to give readers every detail (that would make for boring reading), but some basics, like what’s listed above, are essential. In addition, a few key details can make the difference between the sensation of our characters’ floating in a generic “outside” versus the feeling that our characters actually live in the space around them: